A British author hailing from Salisbury, Edward Rutherfurd has been the pen-name of Francis Edward Wintle for a number of years now, as he writes under it creating an extensive backlog of historical fiction that are epic in their scope. Known for creating highly expansive story-lines, some ranging over ten thousand years in their chronology, he has a strong gift for building on the initial premise with great depth and insight, setting up whole worlds within his narratives. Being well established for many years now as well, he has not only gained the respect of both his peers and contemporaries, but also has a loyal following amongst the general public as well.

Early and Personal Life

Born in Salisbury in 1948, Francis Edward Wintle had a British upbringing, taking in the sights and sounds around him, as he honed his voice from an early age, creating what was to be a burgeoning career in writing. Setting many of his stories within his local area, such as Sarem which featured Stonehenge, he used the extensive history of his environment whilst growing up to create his in-depth novels. Giving them both scope and breadth, he was always on the lookout for new and exciting ideas with which he could feed back into his work, giving them a sense of realism.

Attending the University of Cambridge and later on the Stanford Business School, he had a strong and highly rewarding academic career, helped in part through being awarded a Sloan fellowship, which helped assist him during his time there. This then saw him move on to work within the field of political research after graduating, followed by book-selling and then publishing, as he developed his ideas on literature, all the while taking in inspiration for his future career to be in writing and fiction. Then in 1983 he finally gave it all in to return to his one true passion; writing, as he then went on to publish his first novel ‘Sarum’.

Whilst working he managed to get a clear insight into how the publishing industry operated and what went into creating a strong novel, always retaining a keen interest in literature and the written word all the way throughout. His interest in history also helped him gain an insight into the material that he was going to be working with in the future as well, allowing him to inject a sense of realism and accuracy into his narratives and characters. Long and extensively researched, this passion for history that he’s kept with him throughout his life is clearly reflected in his novels and their huge and expansive narratives.

Living in the city of Salisbury to this day, he has become part of the character of the city itself, with its huge cathedral and long history. After having a pathway named after him with the ‘Rutherfurd Walk’ just off of the medieval marketplace, his place there has been cemented for years to come. With a number of books on the horizon as well, he has plenty more novels left in him yet, as he will continue writing on into the foreseeable future.

Writing Career

Releasing his first book ‘Sarum’ in 1987, after breaking away from his old career to start writing it in 1983, he was well on his way to becoming a fully fledged writer. Typically travelling throughout the ages, he will chart a families progress over an extended period of time, sometimes even thousands of years. For this he has gained a huge amount of acclaim, both nationally and internationally, as his books travel worldwide.

With awards for his work and contributions to the field in general, he has created a long and impressive legacy. Establishing himself as a key figure within the industry, this legacy will continue on for some time yet. This is something that appears not to be stopping any time soon in the near future, as his career grows from strength-to-strength.

Russka: The Novel of Russia

Published in 1991 in July through Crown Publishers, this was to be a historical novel that was epic in both scope and depth. Fast becoming a best-seller it quickly reached the top of the New York Times best-seller list in no time at all. A historical drama it took on a whole range of characters, as it spanned the progress of a family throughout the years.

Spanning a duration of 1,800 years, this captures a large chunk of Russian history taking the reader on a journey, as they meet five families along the way. Focusing on the Romanovs, Karpenkos, Popov, Suvorins and Bobrovs, it tells their intertwined stories in great detail and depth, with great attention to accuracy too. Using real life stories and actual historical figures it conveys a sense of realism as it hones in on certain characters pinpointing who they are and where they fit in to the overall proceedings going on. Taking all this into account this really is Russka: the novel of Russia.

The Forest

Originally published on the sixth of April in 2000, this was another standalone novel from the British author, once again spanning a vast number of years. With his now trademarked epic scope as before, it manages to recapture an accuracy and sense of character which shows a master clearly at the top of his game. Whilst the style and the tone are dramatic in nature, it’s not inaccessible either, as it allows the reader to jump in easily, getting lost in the narrative.

Set in the New Forest which is located in the south of England this goes all the way back to 1099 as it charts the progress of the region and all those who dwelt there. Following right through to the 19th century and a period typically aligned with that of Jane Austen, it really takes the reader on a full journey through the land. Looking once again at the families living there it traces their histories though the Saxons and the Normans who previously came and made settlements there. As a document of the times this truly is a look in to the forest.

Rather than announce an upcoming book, we're paying tribute to our most popular author of the year from a survey we did. That author is Louise Penny, who writes the Inspector Gamache books. Trust me when I say this - this is a tremendous serious about a Chief Inspector in Quebec. Buy it for yourself, buy it as a gift - but get the first book in the series, Still Life and see why it's our most popular book series. Read more about it.

Recommendations

Every 2 weeks we send out an e-mail with 6-8 Book Recommendations. We'll base this on various factors for example "If you like Jack Reacher..." or "If you like short stories in the horror genre". Insert your e-mail below to start getting these recommendations.

MISSING A BOOK?

I do my best to make sure the book lists are complete and current, but due to human or machine error while attempting to keep 3000+ authors up to date, the occasional book can be missed or will be listed under an alternate title. If you see one missing just send me an e-mail below. Thanks!

Author / Series

Book(s)

Featured Series

Our character of the month is Inspector Armand Gamache. We know people are looking for gifts for others this time of year - so make it easy. Get someone hooked on our most popular series! Seriously I don't mean to beat a dead horse but try this series out!

Featured Author

Our author of the month is the Canadian author Louise Penny We’re paying tribute to Louise this month. Her Gamache series is simply incredible and each book just gets better. If you haven’t read it yet – start now!

Did You Know…

In 1994, Brad Meltzer co-wrote the original swearing-in oath that is taken by AmeriCorps members, and has been delivered by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.